Chess Openings Lab
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English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Keres Variation

The Keres Variation is 3.g3 c6, where Black prepares ...d5 to build a full pawn center against the King's English. White must hit that center quickly, while Black wants ...d5 and, against Nf3, the space-gaining ...e4.

Moves
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 c6
ECO
A23
Engine
+0.23 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
906 games in our lichess sample
White scores
52.6%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play Nf3 to hit e5 at once; if ...e4, the knight hops to d4 and later b3 to chase Black's queen.
  • Strike with d4 so that ...exd4 Qxd4 centralizes the queen before Black's pieces are ready.
  • After cxd5 cxd5, aim the g2 bishop and c3 knight at the isolated or advanced d5 pawn.

Black

  • Push ...d5 next move if allowed, giving Black a classical center of e5 and d5.
  • Answer Nf3 with ...e4, then use ...Qb6 and the a-pawn advance ...a5 and ...a4 to annoy a knight on b3.
  • If White opens the d-file, develop with ...Be6 or ...Na6 and accept an isolated d5 pawn for active pieces.

Plans and pawn structure

Everything turns on ...d5. If Black gets it in with tempo, the position resembles an Open Sicilian reversed with a big center for Black. White's answers are direct: Nf3 forcing ...e4, or d4 opening the center before Black castles. After cxd5 cxd5, White plays against the d5 pawn with Bg2, Nc3 and rooks on the d-file, while Black needs active pieces to keep it safe. On the queenside, Black's ...a5-a4 advance can gain space against Nb3.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.23: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.23 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Qb6 6.Nb3 a5
  2. +0.16 4.Bg2 d5 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Be6
  3. +0.15 4.d4 exd4 5.Qxd4 Na6 6.Bg2 d5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

906 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.6%.

under 120059.8%
1200–159947.8%
1600–199953.9%
2000 and up53.3%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

For White: don't play slowly with d3 and let ...d5 arrive for free. Use Nf3 or d4 right away. After ...e4 Nd4, watch the b2 pawn and the f2 square when Black's queen goes to b6. Trading on d5 and pressuring the pawn is usually healthier than allowing a fixed black center.

Other lines with this name

The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bc5 4.Bg2 c6.

Questions

What are the moves of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Keres Variation?

The English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Keres Variation starts 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 c6. Its ECO code is A23.

Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Keres Variation good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.23 at depth 20, which is level. In 906 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.6%. Good for Black players who want central space against the English; White needs to play energetically rather than with slow setups.

What is the main idea of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Keres Variation?

Black uses ...c6 to support ...d5 and claim the center that the English usually denies. White must challenge e5 at once, with Nf3 or d4, before Black's center is complete.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Nf3, with Bg2 and d4 close behind. Nf3 attacks e5 immediately, so Black has to commit with ...e4 before ...d5 is in place.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.